Nikon P100 or Canon SX20 IS - Super-Zoom Travel Cameras

Need a great compact (point and shoot) camera for your travel photos with a reliable reputation? Why not consider a Nikon P100 or a Canon SX20 IS? That is exactly what I am doing as I look for a new every day camera that will allow me to not carry a heavy backpack with digital SLR gear all day when traveling. It will also double as a back up my digital SLR.When I was buying that first DSLR, I faced the exact same dilemma. Canon or Nikon... Nikon or Canon... which one is best.I am focusing my attention on the top two manufacturers in this situation, even though there are other good cameras in the travel category. By the way, these digital compacts are also known for their "super zoom" capabilities. Panasonic also has a very good model, the Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ40, but I will restrict this discussion to the Nikon or Canon choice.It's true, these two camera makers have a lock on the market. They can swagger into any digital camera expo with confidence. There are a couple of good reasons for this, too.First, they have good cameras. Their engineers and designers apparently listen to their camera buyers' feedback, as well as doing their best to stay ahead of the pack when it comes to new technology. They usually put forth excellent products.Second, they both have excellent marketing programs. And usually, the cameras they promote do what they say, so there is trust in the products.Cameras that are considered for the travel camera category can also be found in the super-zoom category. That is because of the ability to take pictures at wide angles as well as from a distance in the "up close and personal", or "zoomed to catch the whites of their eyes from 100 yards" mode. Simply said, they can get a huge range of focal length shots.Now, let's have a gander at these two cameras: Nikon P100 and Canon SX20 IS. They are quite similar when you look closely at the feature sets. They are so similar, in fact, that it if something is not mentioned here, just assume they both have it.So here are the differences.The Nikon P100 has a higher capacity video recording system, with the ability to record 1080p at 30 frames per second. It also has the better LCD screen with 3" vs 2.5" and twice the number of dots per inch for better viewing in tough light situations. It has a higher zoom ratio at 26x (26-678mm) vs 20x (28-560mm) and higher ISO range.The Canon SX20 wins in fewer categories, but they are important ones. It has a larger capacity sensor with 12.1-megapixels vs 10.3-megapixels. That is not really that significant, but many people value the megapixel count. The one factor that sets the Canon apart, in this writer's humble opinion, is the user satisfaction. This is seen as a "Star Rating" system at the online stores. The SX20 also won the DPReview "super-zoom" category highest rating. This test takes all aspects of camera performance and image quality into consideration. Of course, the Nikon was the runner-up, so it is still a tough call.The Nikon-Canon debate continues.